Picton Press invests in automated ten-colour KBA Rapida 106

Following an order for a six-colour KBA Rapida 162 with coater from Centrum Printing, a further Australian firm has opted for cutting-edge press technology from Koenig & Bauer (KBA).

Perth print business Picton Press is assembling what its managing director Dennis Hague says will be the best printing solution in operation in Australia with a multi-million dollar spend that includes a new automated ten-colour KBA Rapida 106 perfector and a new MIS system.

The press which features sidelay-free infeed, simultaneous plate changing and DriveTronic components will start its journey to Australia in January 2014. Dave Lewis, general manager at KBA Australia says: “There will not be a higher specified press in Australia. It prints at 18,000sph in perfecting mode, has fully automated makeready, automatic simultaneous plate changing, Plate Ident cameras which scan the plates and pull the job into register before running any substrates, and it is also connected to a central ink pumping system.”

Thanks to its standardised dryer modules the new press will come prepared for retrofitting HR–UV inks. The advantage of this is that the ink dries immediately and no spray powder is necessary. Dennis Hague is looking forward to the benefits this press will bring: “This increase in firepower will allow us to offer the very highest quality products at highly competitive prices due to significant reductions in raw materials, makeready times, reduced energy usage and full automation, resulting in maximum efficiency.” He continues: “We believe in the next six months Picton will have assembled the best printing solution operation in Australia enabling us to offer our customers additional benefits, provide related information in respect to the pressures being applied by the market with ISO colour management and reporting, ease of operation, transparent reporting, supported by the very best people all in one affordable easy-to-use set of platforms. The new press will also allow us entry into markets we have been unable to service in the past.”

“After extensive trips, many demonstrations and subsequent meetings with various manufacturers, we choose KBA. This decision was based on the press technology, their openness and support to fully integrate the solutions and a reporting system that we not only require but our major clients are demanding,” says Hague when explaining why he decided on the Rapida 106.